Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter
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| Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter | |
|---|---|
 Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Brian Clemens |
| Produced by | Anthony Hinds |
| Written by | Brian Clemens |
| Starring | Horst Janson John Carson Caroline Munro |
| Music by | Malcolm Williamson |
| Cinematography | Jack Asher |
| Editing by | James Needs |
| Distributed by | Hammer Film Productions |
| Release date(s) | April 7, 1974 (UK) |
| Running time | 91 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $400,000 (estimated) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter is a 1974 horror film written, produced and directed by Brian Clemens for Hammer Film Productions. It stars Horst Janson in the title role, along with John Carson, Shane Briant and Caroline Munro. The original music score is composed by Laurie Johnson.
[edit] Plot summary
The film opens with two young women in the woods surrounding an English village. As they separate, one is approached by a cloaked figure. Dr. Marcus (John Carson) rides by on his horse to discover the one staring at the dead body of the other, whose face has aged horribly and who has blood on her lips.
Dr. Marcus calls in his old army friend Captain Kronos (Horst Janson) and hunchback Professor Grost (John Cater), two professional vampire hunters. On their way towards the village they free a young, barefoot gypsy girl named Carla (Caroline Munro) from a stockade. Carla decides to stay with the pair and later becomes romantically involved with Kronos. They arrive at the village, where young women continue to be attacked and aged by a cloaked figure. Grost explains to the initially skeptical Marcus that the women are victims of a vampire that drains not blood but youth and that there are as "many species of vampire as there are beasts of prey". The finding of another victim confirms Grost's explanations.
Grost and Carla bury several toads in the wood, marking the spots with red ribbons. The next morning, another girl falls victim to the cloaked figure. However, this time her boyfriend witnessed the attack and reveals to Kronos the girl saw "someone old, very old.". In contradiction, Kronos states that a youth-draining vampire would appear "young and fair". Kronos also digs up the buried toads and the fact that the toads now live confirms the presence of a vampire.
At the same time, Marcus visits the grave of his friend Lord Durward and speaks with the Lord's son Paul (Shane Briant), who tells the doctor that his mother still holds a grudge against the doctor for not having being able to save Hagen's life. Lady Durward is shown sitting in a carriage, having greatly aged out of grief. Later, Marcus tries to visit Lady Durwood and goes to Durward manor, where he is welcomed by Paul and his beautiful sister Sara (Lois Daine) but has to leave without seeing the bed-ridden Lady. In the woods, a cloaked figure calls to him in a female voice. Thunder and lightning and appear and as Marcus rides around the corner, he is shaken and has drops of blood on his lips, but is otherwise unharmed.
Meanwhile at a tavern, Kronos and Grost are confronted at the tavern by a group of thugs, who were previously hired by a mysterious gentleman, but Kronos kills them with a few strokes of his sword. Later, the four plan their next excursion, setting up a system of alarm bells. They are alarmed as a large bat attacks another girl but as they arrive, the bat has vanished and the girl lies dead.
At the manor, Paul and Sara are worried by the state of their bed-ridden mother, who has not touched food nor drink. Sara reveals that she is frightened by age, fearing her own eventual decay, but Paul replies that as Durwards by birth - a family "always renowned for their youthfulness" - they will not share in their mother's fate.
That night, Kronos explains Carla why he fights vampires: while he was fighting in a war, his mother and sister were turned into vampires and attacked him on his return, forcing him to destroy them both. Meanwhile Marcus realizes in horror that he has been turned into a youth-draining vampire and begs Kronos to kill him as he cannot bear to life as a predator. Kronos and Grost try several methods but all fail until Marcus touches a cross made out of steel and expires, once again his old self. Realizing that it is steel that destroys youth-draining vampires, the two go to the cemetery to unearth a large iron cross.
However, a villager has witnessed Marcus' death and rouses his friends at the tavern to avenge good Dr. Marcus. The angry villagers attack Kronos and Grost at the cemetery, but Kronos fights them off and disarms them. Grost now takes the cross and forges it into a new sword.
That night, another young woman is attacked at her home, while her father lies dead outside. Kronos comes across the scene too late and sees a carriage similar to the Durward carriage leave. The next morning, Kronos meets Sara Durward at their father's grave but Paul quickly interrupts their conversation and the siblings leave in their carriage. Kronos deduces that the vampire must live at Durward Manor, as Marcus was transformed after his visit, and in particular suspects beautiful Sara.
Kronos prepares himself for his task by arming himself with the sword and various protective measures. To gain entrance into Durward Manor, Carla rings at the door and faints as Paul opens the door. Inside, she begs for refuge and the Durward siblings agree to let her stay. As she sleeps on the couch in front of the fireplace, she is approached and mesmerized by a shadowy female figure, who bares her fangs. The scene is interrupted by Sara, standing on the stairs screaming, while Kronos breaks into the house and hides.
Sara and the alarmed Paul recognize the figure as their own mother, who has grown young again and who reveals herself as a "Karstein by birth", that her family is "blessed with many dark secrets" and that after seven years of preparation she will now never grow old. Lady Durwood also introduces her late husband, whom she has awakened from the grave. Lady Durwood mesmerizes her children and then leads her cloaked and still disfigured husband towards the still mesmerized Carla, inviting him to take her life and youth. At that moment, Kronos erupts from his hiding place. Lady Durward tries to mesmerize him too but Kronos' blade reflects her gaze back unto her, mesmerizing herself.
Kronos fights a duel with Lord Durward, who was himself a famous swordsman, and is temporary disarmed and almost vanquished, but as he gains back his steel blade, he is able to defeat the vampire, who falls to the ground, aged again. Lady Durward, crying tears of blood, now attacks Kronos but is also killed, breaking her control over Carla and over her children, who look upon their parent's decayed corpses in horror.
At the village courtyard, Kronos bids Carla good bye and rides off to new adventures.
[edit] Cast
- Horst Janson as Captain Kronos
- John Cater as Professor Hieronymous Grost
- Caroline Munro as Carla
- John Carson as Dr. Marcus
- Shane Briant as Paul Durward
- Lois Daine as Sara Durward
- Wanda Ventham as Lady Durward
- William Hobbs as Lord Durward
